Installation of artificial turf to start at Blue Mountain High School stadium

Jun. 9—ORWIGSBURG — Installation of artificial turf on the football/soccer field in the Blue Mountain School District stadium is scheduled to begin next week, school board member Roy Heim said Thursday.

Following its completion, artificial turf will be installed on the infield of the district's baseball field near the entrance to Blue Mountain High School.

The announcement came as Heim, school district officials and benefactors gathered Thursday afternoon at the stadium.

In December, the Blue Mountain school board awarded a contract for the installation of artificial turf on both fields to Keystone Sports Construction, of Phoenixville. The cost is approximately $3 million.

About half of the cost, just under $1.5 million, has been raised from private sources and Penn State Schuylkill.

The Blue Mountain Legacy group, an organization of residents and business owners, raised $750,000 for the stadium project.

Penn State Schuylkill is contributing $700,000 toward the baseball field project.

Patrick M. Jones, chancellor, said the contribution will allow the PSU Schuylkill baseball team to use Blue Mountain's field.

Since it was formed in Pottsville in 1934, Jones said, Penn State Schuylkill has not had its own baseball field.

Heim, president of Heim Construction Co., said Blue Mountain and PSU have previously worked together on academics.

"This is the first time we're working with them on athletics," Heim said.

In last fall's freshman class, Jones said, 26 incoming students were from Blue Mountain High School.

About 74% of students on campus, he said, are from Schuylkill County.

The baseball field will have artificial turf installed in the infield and have new lights and a new backstop.

Clay Leibold, vice president, said the Blue Mountain Legacy group was formed about eight months ago to raise donations for the stadium project. It consists of about 10 residents and businesses.

The Legacy group is funneling its donations through the Eagle Foundation, a nonprofit that raises funds for projects in the school system.

"The two groups are going in the same direction," said Leibold, owner of Leibold Inc., a Pottsville mechanical contractor. "We have a lot in common."

John R. Kantner, president, said the Eagle Foundation has been raising funds for school projects for 25 years.

"Our goal is to encourage excellence by enhancing and enriching opportunities offered to students otherwise not available through traditional funding sources," said Kantner, an attorney with the firm of Fanelli, Evans & Patel in Pottsville.

David H. Helsel, superintendent, said the community support has been great for the school district.

"It's a real unified effort," Helsel said of the foundation support. "We've been having gym classes in our parking lot, now we can have them on turf."

The stadium field, which is used for both football and soccer, has been a matter of concern for some time. The heads of embedded sprinklers have been cited as a safety concern for athletes.

Heim noted that a study conducted by the district showed that it costs $100,000 a year to maintain the natural turf, compared to $15,000 for artificial turf.

In addition to the playing field, artificial turf will be installed on areas used for track and field events.

Eric Schaeffer, high school principal, said the renovated field will be available to community-based sports organizations.

"We will be able to have a youth feeder program," he said. "We don't have one right now."

Schaeffer also noted that the field would be eligible for district and state playoffs, which are required to be played on artificial turf.

Contact the writer: rdevlin@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6007